Awakening as Manifesters
Imagine a moment when the world shimmers—when flashes of illumination pierce through the ordinary, revealing something vast and mystical. Last Sunday at Awakening Ways Center for Spiritual Living, the topic of awakening as manifesters lit up a conversation about these spiritual sparkles, those brief, potent bursts of insight that connect us to a power greater than ourselves. These are the moments when the veil thins, and we feel one with all of life, embodied and embraced by a deeper truth. They are glimmers—small, radiant whispers of inspiration—that guide us toward a profound understanding of who we are and what we’re capable of becoming.
In spiritual terms, these flashes and glimmers mark the beginning of awakening, a shift from victimhood to empowerment. Ernest Holmes, a luminary of New Thought philosophy, captured it beautifully: “There is a power in the universe greater than we are, and we can use it.” Our first step toward freedom is awakening to this truth, a journey through what Michael Beckwith calls the Four Kingdoms of Consciousness: To Me, By Me, Through Me, and As Me. Before awakening, we linger in “To Me,” where life happens to us, and we feel like victims of circumstance. But as we awaken, we step into “By Me,” where we seize the reins of our destiny.
This “By Me” stage—our manifester phase—is where the magic happens. Holmes observed, “When we awaken to the realization that the mind is creative, we begin to take control of our destiny.” Suddenly, we’re not just dreaming of palaces, princes, or even parking spaces—we’re naming, claiming, and manifesting them. I once taught my mom how to manifest a Primo Gucci parking spot in San Luis Obispo. She laughed, doubted initially, and then parked right up front—stunned. Another time, a friend visualized a job offer after months of rejection; it landed the next week. And then there’s the story of my neighbor, who, after years of blaming her ex for her struggles, decided to manifest a new career—and did. These aren’t miracles; they’re the fruits of awakened consciousness.
In the “By Me” stage, we’re stretched and challenged, but that’s the fuel we need to dig deeper. We become causative agents, creators rather than casualties. There’s a thrill in it: “I did it! I can do it!” We move past victimhood, claiming ownership of the lives we build. Holmes put it perfectly: “Life is like a mirror, tending to reflect back to us the images of our own thinking.” Change your thoughts and the reflection shifts.
Think of the old cowboy watching an early film. He didn’t like what he saw, so he reached out to tweak the screen—only to realize the image wasn’t the source. Our lives are the same: the screen isn’t the problem; it’s the projector—our minds. In “By Me,” we stop wrestling the screen and start directing the reel. With awareness and practice we master this phase and move on to the next.
And so it is.
